Good but could still use some improvements. Water slides on the ship could use more water pressure as I got stuck on all 3 slides and got bruised.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was fairly easy, it seems like the Port Authorities in NYC have gotten better about creating a smoother embarkation process than 4 years ago. Back then, it took us 2 hours to check-in. This time we were waiting to board in about 20 min.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Sometimes the food was served cold, one member of our group got sick on the fish.
Guys Burgers was excellent, as always!
Buffet hardly ever changed, and neither did the desserts in the MDR. The Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake was delicious!
As far as staff, most of us were ignored by the wait staff.
For menus, we had to keep asking for hard copies as two of our members didn't bring their phones with them. Unless you ask, you're forced to use your phone to order.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
MarQ and the Fun Squad were awesome, I just wish there was a little more variety in the activities offered. As an Activity Director myself, I understand you're somewhat limited by your environment. That said, there was A LOT of trivia that could have been replaced by something like a dance class or an "Officers vs Guests" tournament.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Performers were fantastic, but I didn't like the "Color My World" or "Vintage Pop" shows. I didn't care for the song selections, but the performers did well with what they were given. "Epic Rock" was the best, fantastic song selections, and I wish the other two shows were like that.
Johnathan Tipanelli was fantastic as well, doing lots of impressions, his own music, and classic standards. He even helped the Fun Squad with various trivia games.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Staff was overall friendly but none went out of their way to assist you.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Loved the ship design, not so much the layout. My main complaint is the bathrooms were small and hard to find. More prominent signage would help.
My main compliment is the colors were much brighter in comparison to the Pride, my last Carnival cruise. The ship was extremely well-lit.
I loved the elevators too as they were automated and limited wait times.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
One of the most comfortable I've been in, but also one of the noisiest. We were in cabin 2395, a Cove cabin right under the kitchen. All day long we could hear things being moved or dropped.
On top of that, the people next to us were loud sometimes.
Ship tip
Of the 4 Carnival ships I've been on, this is one of the Top 2 Best Ships. Carnival did have its issues with passengers making bad decisions, which were handled both swiftly and discreetly. Carnival is cracking down on some issues, and has dogs onboard trained to assist security.
Loved this port! Go see the small exhibit on the right hand side as you enter the port. It's dedicated to John Glen who had his splashdown landing less than 3 miles away.
Margaritaville is awesome as well. I'm a HUGE Jimmy Buffett fan, so of course I spent some time in the free pool there and ate at the restaurant. It's a must for any Parrot Head!
Nice selection of shops as well, but sadly there's no Del Sol anymore!
Rather than going to the beach, we opted for the Aqua Park, which is free and within walking distance from the port. An All Day Pass for both the zipline and water slides cost just $36. Wear water shoes for the slides, as it's quite a hike. Wear shorts for the zipline, as it's also a hike back up to the starting platform and the harness is tight.
Shopping is nice as well. There's a Del Sol not far from the water park, as well as a few other large retailers and a straw market.
We were delayed disembarking and leaving the port due to bad choices made by some passengers. When we were allowed off, we made our way on foot to El Muro in Old San Juan. It's an old fort, used to defend against invaders. We also did some shopping and visited the grave of Pince De Leon, the founder of Puerto Rico.
After that, we visited Senor Frogs for the first time. Loved it so much, we're heading back in June!
This island was one of my favorites. Last time I visited, it was just a beach. Now it's built up to be more along the lines of a resort. There's cabanas (which cost extra) and a straw market in addition to a free buffet.
That is a well put together review of your experience. Very good information for other cruisers. I am going on Venezia in one week. Greatly appreciated for your efforts to shearing this review. A+
Thanks.
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